Lady&#39;s handbag



June4 10, 1941. R. LoBEL LADYS HANDBAG Filed June 5, 1940 p INVENTOR. MM

ATTORNEY Patented June 1o, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,244,789LADYs HANDBAG Rudolph Lobel, New York, N. Y.

Application .lune 5, 1940, Serial No. 338,877

I (Cl. 150-28) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to ladies handbags and methods of making thesame.

One object of the invention is to provide `an improved ladys handbagwhich is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which iscapable of producing a handbag of fine appearance While affording agreat range of styling possibilitles.

Another object is the provision of an improved method for effecting theabove in a frame-bag, without vrequiring the usual stufng and clampingoi.' fabric in channel frames.

The almost universal method used in making ladies frame handbags is byfirst stuffing the material into the channels of the frame members andthen clamping-the same on the goods. In producing styling and ornamentaleifects as by pleating or gathering the material, considerable skill andcare is necessary to distribute the material in the channels just right.In nxing one spot the gather is upset at another; sometimes the fabricslips out at certain points. This work requires a highly skilledmechanic; and in handbags of quality, is a principalitem in the cost ofproduction. Finally, the' handbag must be carefully manipulated to clampthe channel frames without disturbing the goods, and a special machineis required, carefully operated, in order not to mar or scratch theframe members, because then the handbag would be defective.

It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome these drawbacksand difficulties and to produce a high grade ladys handbag.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novelcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in theirpreferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claim, andillustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated bythe same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a ladys handbag embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation thereof.

F'ig- 3 is an inside View in elevation of one-half thereof, with theother half cut away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the handbag showingthe connecting means.

Fig. 5 is an edge View of a decorative fastener. Si

Figs; 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional views of modified fastener means.

Fig. 8 is a side view on a reduced scale of a bag body before attachmentto the frame.

'Ihe advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized whenall of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and thesame structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less thanthe who-1e,

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains, that the same may be incorporated in several differentconstructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merelyas showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I0 denotes a ladys handbag embodyingthe invention. The same may comprise a bag body II having side walls I2interconnected by end gussets I3. In horizontal section each of thelatter has a pair of inward folds as at I4 and an intermediate outwardfold I5 at which the purse I6 is suitably secured. When the bag body isopened, the gussets are stretched and the folds I4 disappear. When thebag body is closed, the purse keeps the gussetsv spaced and stiffensthem against distortion or collapse. The bag body is also provided witha lining throughout, the outer fabric showing the contrasting effect asin Fig. 3, at the top of the handbag.

Cio-operating with the bag body I2 along the mouth thereof is a framewhich may comprise a pair of inverted, U-shaped frame members I7 thatare hingedly interconnected at their lower ends at I8. These framemembers may consist of wood or other stiff or composition material intowhich a pin, such as a nail or screw may be driven. Such frame membersmay be covered with a textile fabric I8 as shown in Fig, 4. Also theframe members may be pressed or cut out of plastic material, and thelike. These frame members may be of any desired cross section, and, ofcourse need not be of channel form. It will be noted that the side wallsof the bag body lie in substantially parallel planes and are formed withtop or marginal portions I9 which project upward above the vframemembers Il. Hence the top sections of the frame members aresubstantially concealed by the projecting portions I9, since the framemembers lie wholly inside of and between the planes of the side walls 0fthe bag body. In consequence the upper edges 2i) of the gussets slopedownward rather sharply to pass under the top sections of the framemembers and between the arms thereof. The latter desirably may be partlyconcealed Within the gussets.

The structure for securing the side walls to the frame will now bedescribed. As seen in Fig. 4, the side Wall i2 of the bag body may beaflixed to a frame member by a nail or screw 22 piercing the side Walland driven into the frame member. The screw may have a coarse thread soas to be operative by pressure alone. In general, it may be referred toas a pin. Overlying and concealing the head of the pin is an ornamentalmember 23 which may be partly hollow and may have a pair of prongs 24that are to be driven into the frame member through the side wall. Theelements 22 and 23 may be considered as cooperative with each other toafford a fastening means.

As shown in Fig. 6, if a frame member 25 of molded material be used, itmay have any suitable fasteners or sockets 26 molded therein or cementedinto recesses thereof. Y Now a headed pin 27 may be forced through thepleat or side Wall 28 of the handbag, with the pin shank suitablygripped or distorted in the socket for a tight securement.

In Fig. 7, a fastener element may comprise a pin or screw shank 253fixed into frame member 30, and having a stop or pressure collar 3| fromwhich extends a sharp pin 32. The pleat or side Wall 33 of the bag bodymay be forced on the pin 32, and then an Ornamental head. 34 may bedriven onto said pin 32 to reliably secure the bag body to the frame, asby flattening the point of the pin or by frictionally gripping the pin.

Various fastening means may be used for securement of the bag body andwhich permit the securement to be effected as the bag body isdecoratively laid along the frame. Thus the bag body 35 from which thebag body Il is formed, may be complete in all 'respects with outerfabric, lining, gussets and purse mounted thereon, but the part at thetop or mouth 35 being substantially longer than that at the bottom ofthe bag body. The mouth may be scalloped or otherwise constructed with adecorative configuration as shown. When secured to the frame, the bagbody 35 assumes the shape shown at l2, being pleated in an uprightdirection, as indicated by the pleats 31, arranged according to apredetermined design. The fastening means 22, 23 secure the pleats tothe frame to x the same and to support the bag body on the frame. Thispleating produces a desired decorative elect of the edge 36. Moreover,the pleats s tifen the portion I9 of the bag body which projects abovethe frame, free thereof.

According to my method, the bag body 35 is laid' along the frame and thepleats then formed, and secured to the frame by the fastening means. Inother Words, the pleats may be open and unsecured except for saidfastening means. With a structure such as shown in Fig. 7, theadvantages are particularly clear. The fasteners are placed inpredetermined positions and serve as indicators for locating the pleatsand the distribution of the material. The operator manipulates thefabric andpresses it onto the gage pins 32 and applies the sockets 34,completing the handbag.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a handbag and method of makingthe same which fulfill the objects of the invention and are well adaptedfor practical use.

I claim:

A ladys handbag including a bag body having a mouth dei-ined by endwalls and side walls, the material of the latter being substantiallygreater in length at the mouth than at the bottom but with the sidewalls having pleats increasing in Width toward the mouth to thus reducethe overall length of the material of the side Walls at the mouth, aframe for said mouth comprising frame members movable toward and awayfrom each other, the side Walls of the bag body lying wholly at theouter sides of the frame members, and clamping fasteners extendingthrough the pleats, constructed and arranged for permanently securingthe pleats to the frame members to thus reenforcingly mount the bag bodyand to clamp the pleats in relatively thin form and to thus maintain thepleats in position on the frame members, the side walls being otherwisesubstantially free of the frame members, and the pleats being otherwisesubstantially free and open, whereby the tension on the bag body incarrying articles is transmitted to the frame members only through thepleats to cause the pleats to be maintained smooth and tautand toprevent distortion of unsecured portions of the bag body intermediate ofthe pleats.

RUDOLPH LOBEL.

